The present invention relates generally to improvements in vehicle safety belt retraction devices, and it relates particularly to an improved automatic locking safety belt retractor reel which responds to a belt withdrawal exceeding a predetermined rate.
In order to restrain a vehicle seat occupant against forward motion in the event of a sharp or rapid slowing of the vehicle's forward motion, such as that accompanying a collision or similar occurrence while affording free and unhampered movement to the seat occupant, under normal vehicle conditions it is a common practice to take up the safety belt by a spring biased retractor reel which permits free withdrawal of the safety belt except under rapid vehicle deceleration conditions, under which conditions the reel is automatically locked against belt withdrawal. One type of such reel responds to the belt withdrawal speed exceeding a predetermined rate to lock the reel against further withdrawal. While the reel may respond to any desired belt pull, it should advantageously respond to the pull exceeding 0.3 G. This type of reel which has been heretofore available possesses numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. They are complicated, bulky, expensive devices of limited application, difficult and inconvenient to install, and of little versatility and adaptability.